An outdoors exhibition is staged in an old renovated old alleyway, off Ningde Road. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]

The preservation and renewal of the historic area in the Shinan district of Qingdao city – located in East China's Shandong province – is not only related to the renovation of buildings, but also the overall trend of the reviving culture and businesses in the old town.  

The goal of rejuvenating its old precincts and rejuvenating local traditional culture and commerce has been one of the main tasks set by the Shinan municipal government.  

Ningde Road is a century-old thoroughfare that once served as a business precinct full of warehouses and inns, where merchants and leading locals gathered to live. As times passed, the old street's glory days gradually faded and the original lively alleyways and passageways off the road lapsed into a sleepy backwater.  

But now the district is revivifying its cultural tourism attractions – especially in the old roads and streets – to create new hot spots that are being customized to meet the latest trends in what visitors and locals want.

"In the conservation and renovation process of eight, century-old traditional buildings on the street, we regarded the buildings in awe and took great care to complete the work," said a person in charge of the renovation.

Any old objects and wood that come from demolition is effectively recycled and reused and repairs employ these materials, faithfully maintaining the original styles which attract increasing numbers of visitors and shoppers.  

Moving forwards, Shinan will launch a gourmet contest, flash mob events and art-related activities in the old town – to boost the popularity of the area and inject new impetus into investment in the streets of Qingdao.